


The Perfect Partner for Professor Novak

by ClawOfTheNight



Category: Supernatural
Genre: And we hate him, Domestic Bliss, Engineer Dean Winchester, Established Relationship, M/M, Married Castiel/Dean Winchester, Non-Binary Castiel (Supernatural), Pet Names, Sam is a Saint, Secret Relationship, So does Naomi, Sort Of, Student Sam Winchester, Teacher Castiel (Supernatural), They/Them Pronouns For Castiel (Supernatural), We don't like her either, Zachariah is a dick, actually beta'd, at times - Freeform, he misgenders cas, no one knows Cas has a husband
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27181235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClawOfTheNight/pseuds/ClawOfTheNight
Summary: Castiel and Dean are happily married, and have been in a loving and committed relationship for years.Dean is it for Castiel.If only the students in their class knew that.or, Sam sits behind some girls in his English class who are very invested in finding a partner for one professor Novak.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Charlie Bradbury/Gilda, Donna Hanscum/Jody Mills
Comments: 13
Kudos: 272





	The Perfect Partner for Professor Novak

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I'm back.
> 
> This fic is actually beta'd by the wonderful Sunflower!! 
> 
> So thank them for the fact this actually makes sense, otherwise this fic would just be like... a pile of goo.
> 
> Again, this is non binary Cas, because I'm non binary and I like representation. 
> 
> Also there are a few instances of people not respecting Cas' pronouns mentioned, mainly Zachariah and Naomi, it doesn't happen much and that isn't the focus of this fic but I don't want to hurt anyone so be careful if that's triggering for you.

Sam sat in his seat, waiting for his English teacher to turn up to his final lesson of the week, listening to the people around him talking.

The boys behind him were talking about the party they were going to. The group at the back were discussing the geography homework. The jocks were discussing the game at the weekend. But the conversation that really caught his attention was the one happening in front of him.

"Well," Marve said with a grin, "who shall we set them up with."

Sam didn't really know what they were talking about, but he did know Marve and Lisa had been working together to set up teachers all around the school for weeks. He enjoyed sitting in English and listening to their plotting.

Lisa sighed, "We don't even know who they like. How do we set them up without even knowing who their friends are, or who they’re attracted to, if anyone."

Marve scowled, pulling her chair closer to her desk with an earsplitting screech. "Come on, it's Professor Novak, we have to find the perfect person for them. They deserve it."

Sam thumped his head off his desk in distress. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He was too tired for this. It was the last period on a Friday. Why did they have to start this now. They were right, Professor Novak deserved only the best partner to spend their life with. They were the nicest teacher at the school and every student loved them.

The problem was having to listen to the girls try to set his sibling in law up with another teacher at the school.

Sam had known Professor Novak, Cas, since they started dating his older brother. Dean was ten years older than Sam and had been dating Cas for almost longer than Sam could remember. 

They had started dating his brother in college when Sam was only seven and they and Dean had practically raised him after his father died in a car accident when he was nine, seven years before. 

Now eighteen he lived in a small house with Dean and Cas, studying at the local college. Dean, now twenty eight, was an engineer and Cas was an English teacher at Sam's college. 

People didn't know Cas and Sam were siblings as it just never seemed important to bring up. Cas treated him like any other student. They had always been his sibling, but had become his legal sibling two years before when Cas and Dean had finally got married.

So of course it was odd to hear Lisa in front of him wack the table, declaring that "That's it! Professor Bradbury would be perfect for Professor Novak." Partially because he couldn't imagine Cas with anyone else, and partially because Charlie was a proud lesbian who was happily married to her wife Gilda.

"I don't know," Marve contemplated, "they do seem to be friends but isn't Professor Bradbury a lesbian? And I'm pretty sure she's married, she's got a photo on her desk from her wedding day."

Charlie does in fact have a photo from her wedding day.

Lisa shrugged, "I guess we could ask if they like anyone on staff? Say we are trying to figure out if the English department all get along? I don’t know, just think of something."

Just the Cas walked in, cutting their conversation short. "Okay class, I hope you've had a good day."

There were a few mumbled answers, a few yesses, a few nos and a whole lot of indistinguishable groaning.

"Great," they said with a smile. "Now I know it's last thing on a Friday but the quicker you finish your work the quicker we can all be home, and I can spend my weekend ignoring you." 

It's funny how, if any other teacher had tried that they would have been met with a class full of grumbling students but it was Cas. Professor Novak was always there for their students, no matter what time. They would answer an email asking for help. 

\------

The lesson flew by and everyone did indeed finish their work before the end of the lesson, leading to Cas letting them all talk for the last 15 minutes of class.

Sam had almost forgotten about Marve and Lisa until he heard whispering from the front row. "You should ask them now." Marve hissed, elbowing Lisa sharply. "Go on. I dare you."

Lisa glared at her but nevertheless slowly raised her hand into the air. "Professor?" Lisa asked, sounding slightly unsure.

Cas sat up straighter in their seat, turning towards Lisa with a smile. "Yes Lisa?"

"We were wondering…." She paused, trying to figure out how to word her question, "do you like Professor Alder?" She finally settled on.

Cas looked rather shocked at the question, and they stared at her for a few moments, blinking in confusion. They tilted their head to the side, tapping a rhythm on their desk. "Yes?" They answered, still sounding confused. "He is my colleague and I work with him. Why do you ask."

Sam had to bite his cheek to stop him from bursting out laughter at that. He had listened to endless rants about how useless and horrible Zachariah Alder is. Cas couldn't stand the other English Professor, not least because he always made sure to make a pointed remark about how "they them pronouns are plural" and "being nonbinary is a choice." It had upset Cas at first but they had learned to ignore him. 

Marve took over, leaning forward in her chair, "we were wondering if you had to take Professor Alder out for a meal, where would you take him?"

Sam nearly snapped the ruler he was putting in his pencil case he was gripping it so hard. He hated the image that was just planted in his mind of his sibling on a date with Zachariah Alder. It was disturbing.

Cas, sweet, oblivious, darling Cas, just looked confused. "Why am I taking him out to dinner? Are we having a lunch meeting?"

The girls never got to answer because just then the bell rang, cutting to conversation short.

"Alright class, have a good weekend and I will see you all next week."

Sam let out a sigh of relief. Thank everything that's good, the lesson was over. He could not deal with any more of Lisa and Marve trying to set Cas up with someone, not Cas being too oblivious to notice.

He slowly walked to the car, digging the car keys out of his bag so he could open the car and wait in there for Cas to finish up and join him.

\------

It had been a long day and Sam was happy to be home. He threw his shoes to the shoe rack and dragged himself up stairs, yelling out hello to Dean. He threw his bag onto his bed and then went to find his brother.

Dean was in the kitchen cooking tea, Cas glued to his side, their face buried in his neck. Cas was always clingy, but especially so after a long day of school.

"Cas," Dean started, "sweetheart you know I love you but," he cut himself off with a laugh when he nearly tripped trying to get to the fridge. "Darling I need to cook."

Cas let out a deep sigh and, still sighing, made a big show of plodding over to the table and heavily sitting down in a chair. "I see how it is," they grumbled.

Sam smiled from where he stood in the doorway. He loved to see his siblings happy. He remembered a time, back when they'd all first started living together when funds were tight and Cas and Dean had been stressed all the time. He had been a bit young to understand all they were doing for him then, and didn't understand why Dean was working so many jobs as well as getting his engineering degree and why Cas was never around to play. But they had made it work, and stayed together, united through it all.

"How was your day?" Dean asked, bringing a pot of spaghetti to the table.

Cas jumped up to grab plates while Sam grabbed glasses and cutlery and they all sat round the table together, grabbing heaping servings of spaghetti and sauce before answering.

"My day was kind of boring," Sam replied, "I had a math test, learned about molecules in chemistry. Not much happened."

Cas furrowed their brow from across the table. "Did you see Alder?" they asked with a frown.

Dean groaned. "What did he do this time?" Safe to say, no one in the Winchester/Novak household liked Zachariah Alder.

"He was wearing a pin that said ‘fuck your pronouns’," Cas replied with a grimace. "He even came into my classroom to show it off."

Sam sighed. Didn't Alder know that everyone had pronouns? "I'd like to see what he'd say if I used the wrong pronouns for him."

Dean grinned at him mischievously. "Do it."

"Oh," Cas continued, "some of my students asked me a really odd question today. I don't know why?"

Sam didn't even try to stop his momentum as he threw his head into his hands with a slam. "Ugh don't remind me."

Dean looked between them, looking bemused, "what did they ask babe?"

"They asked, and I quote, 'if you had to take Professor Alder out for a meal, where would you take him?' why would they ask that?"

Dean, looking confused, turned to Sam for an explanation. "I'm guessing you know what they were asking."

Sam sat back in his chair, tiredly rubbing his hand across his eyes, "Two girls in my class have decided they need to set Cas up with someone. Somehow they thought Zachariah Being-Nonbinary-is-a-Fad Alder was the best place to start. They were trying to see if you'd ask him out on a date Cas."

Cas places his knife and fork neatly on his plate. "I'm married, why would I take anyone except Dean out on a date?"

Dean just laughed, "hang on, your students are trying to set you up? That's kind of funny. Do they really think you're that bad at getting a date that you need help?" He pulled them closer to his side, planting a kiss on their forehead, "Unfortunately babe, I will have to request you refrain from asking anyone else out. I don't really feel like sharing."

Cas just snuggled closer, "surprisingly enough, I don't want to go out with anyone else. I'm quite happy here thanks."

Sam thought he should groan and make a fuss at the sheer amount of fluff going on round this table, but he was much happier with the image of Dean and his spouse being sappy then the mental image he'd been hot with earlier of Cas and Zachariah on a date.

\-------

He thought that would be the end of it, but of course he underestimated the sheet power of two teenage girls on a mission. The very next English lesson they were back at it again. 

"Professor Alder didn't seem to go down the best with professor Novak," Marve stated, rightly so, but Sam couldn't give her much credit for that. It was fairly obvious. "Who shall we try next?"

Sam really wished they would just give up.

They quietened down for the start of the lesson, and Cas started teaching, only to be interrupted halfway through talking about an extract but professor Hanscum, Jody, coming in to ask them something. Jody was another teacher Sam knew through his siblings. She lived near them and would babysit Sam back when times were rough, so Cas and Dean could both work without worrying about childcare.

Jody walked out and Cas continued the class, Sam was restricted though, by a hushed conversation from infront of him a knew it was time. They had found their next victim.

This time Marve started, "Professor, do you know Professor Hanscum?" She asked, a seemingly innocent expression on her face.

Cas looked confused for a minute before answering slowly, "I know she teaches law." 

Marve smiled at them, "do you ever speak to her, ya know, outside professional circumstances."

Cas looked down, catching on to what was happening quicker this time. "She and her wife live near me. So yes, she is my friend."

Lisa muttered quietly under her breath, "Damn they would have been good together."

Sam had to disagree.

\------

It took him until that night to realise what was wrong with the interaction in class.

"Hey Cas?" Sam asked, turning from where he sat on the chair to look towards Cas who was cuddling with Dean on the sofa. "You could have just told the girls you were married. It obviously makes you uncomfortable, so why didn't you stop them?"

Cas leaned further into Dean before answering, "I didn't want to make you uncomfortable."

"What do you mean?" Sam was confused why would them telling the class he was married make him uncomfortable?

Cas sat up straighter, pulling out of Dean's embrace slightly. Dean let out a grunt of annoyance at losing his personal heater. "If I told them I was married. They'd want to know all about my husband. And they would eventually figure out his surname and they would ask about why you share a surname. I didn't want you to feel uncomfortable or have to tell the other students you're my brother." Cas looked over at him seriously, face alight with passion. "I wouldn't do that to you without asking first."

Sam smiled over at his sibling, "I don't mind. You're my sibling. I don't care if you tell others we're related. It is much worse to hear girls in my class say you would be perfect together with Jody."

Dean winced from his place on the sofa, "yeah no that's not happening." Dean said, pulling Cas closer to him again.

"Hey Dean," Cas said, a mischievous smirk on their face. "Aren't you coming in for the career fair next week?"

Dean laughed as he caught on what his spouse was planning, "I like the way you think sweetheart," he chucked, pulling Cas in for a kiss.

Sam shook his head at them fondly. This would be fun.

\-----

Over the next few days Sam was subjected to a few more instances of matchmaking. Their guesses were only getting worse.

By the time they had asked Cas' opinion on Professor Moseley the psychology professor, and if they thought she was pretty on Wednesday Sam was ready to scream, "THEY'RE MARRIED!!".

But he held out, because even he had to admit their plan was beautiful.

Cas had been excitedly planning their plan, how to get Dean into their classroom and if Sam wanted to be included in the reveal.

He did.

The careers fair was on Friday, and Sam's class was going in for the second to last lesson of the day, Chemistry. That was conveniently the lesson before English, with Cas. 

Their plan was surprisingly simple. 

\-----

The careers fair was finally upon them. Sam was happy that after today he wouldn't have to listen to Lisa and Marve planning on setting his sibling up with teachers from all around the school.

Sam walked into the hall where the fair was being held, eyes scanning the room for his brother.

They made eye contact from across the room and Sam made his way over. Luckily he already knew what he wanted to do with his future, so he didn't need to pay attention to the fair.

"Hey Sammy," Dean smiled as he walked over, "how's your day been?"

"Dean." He nodded at his brother while looking over the fliers on the table, "also it's Sam, you know that." 

Dean just smirked and messed his hair up, "Sure Sammy."

Sam talked to Dean for a bit longer, staying at his table while the others made their way slowly round the hall. 

Sam stepped aside as a group of his class came up to Dean's table to talk about engineering, keeping his distance so Dean could actually do the job he was there for.

And it was there, from a few feet away he heard Lisa whisper to Marve, "He's kinda hot." They both giggled while Sam tried not to gag.

"He's also married." Dean turned to them with a wink. "Bbut thanks." 

Lisa and Marve spluttered and blushed, muttering out a sorry before walking away.

"And they," Sam wondered back over to Dean, "are the girls trying to set your spouse up with seemingly any teacher at this school."

Dean nodded in understanding. "I would say they have good taste but their first choice for Cas was Zachariah. They also called me hot. I'm ten years older than them."

\-----

After the career fair Sam had a five minute break before his English class. It had already been decided Dean would wait a few more minutes before coming in to reveal himself.

Sam sat down into his seat with a barely concealed grin. He loved pranks, especially when he was involved.

Lisa was already sitting in her seat and turned to Marve when she walked in a few minutes later, "What about the engineering guy?"

Sam sat forward in his seat quickly, listening intently to what they were saying about his brother.

"What about him?" Marve asked, sliding into her seat.

"Would he be right for Professor Novak? We could try to get them to talk and maybe they'd hit it off?" 

Marve just laughed, "we're not that desperate, not yet. Also I don't think the engineering guy would be a good fit for Professor Novak."

Sam wanted so bad to shut them up, to tell them the truth just to make them stop. But he couldn't. Not yet. Only half an hour. It would all be worth it in the end.

Just a little longer.

Soon.

\-------

Really not soon enough. The girls again started talking about who the perfect partner would be. 

They honestly thought Naomi from admin would be right for them? 

Naomi from admin? The Naomi who hates Cas? The same Naomi who refused to use they/ them pronouns for them?

They thought she would be the perfect fit?

Yeah no.

Cas had started the lesson on the English text.

Sam was only half paying attention to their lesson, watching the minutes tick down.

10 minutes.

Not much longer.

\-------

A knock on the classroom door broke the silence of hard working students.

There he came, perfectly on time.

"Hey Sammy," Dean said with a smile as he walked into the classroom. "You left your text book here."

Sam rolled his eyes, hiding a smile behind his reply, he could see the students in the room looking between them trying to figure out how they knew each other. 

"You could have just given it to me at home." Sam shook his head. 

Dean fake gasped, "I try to do a nice thing for my baby brother and this is the thanks I get. I came all the way here for you."

Sam was trying so hard not to laugh, this was it. "You're not fooling anyone. I know the real reason you're here."

Dean smirked at him from across the room, walking closer to Cas. "And why's that Sammy."

"You wanted to see your spouse." There was a ripple of confused heads turning at that confession. 

"Maybe I did." Dean leaned against Cas' desk, turning towards them, "any excuse to see my beautiful partner."

Now that got a real reaction from the students.

"What!" Marve shouted from her seat at the same time as Lisa's "Your WHAT."

Cas smiled up at Dean before turning to the class, "This is my husband Dean."

A boy from the back was the first one to pick his jaw up from the floor enough to ask a question, "Wait, aren't you Sam's brother."

"Yes." Dean responded. "Sam is my brother, Cas is my spouse."

"That makes Sam," the boy started.

"My brother in law, yes," Cas finished.

"YOU'RE MARRIED," Marve yelled, still looking shocked.

"Yes." Cas says, looking at her before turning back to Dean. "Aren't you needed at work?"

Dean smirked at them, "actually no. Since I came to this here fair. I'm free now."

Lisa still looked shocked in her chair, "But… we… we were." She whispered quietly.

Not quietly enough. 

"I know." Cas said with a head tilt, "as you can see it's not needed."

"Anyway.” Cas said, clapping their hands, "we're not here to talk about my life, we're here to talk about William Wordsworth's. Back to the poem."

Surprisingly everyone got back on track and apart from a few glances towards Cas and Dean at the front of the room people got on with it.

From where Sam sat, he couldn’t quite hear the conversation Dean and Cas were having, but after living with them both for a long time he recognised all their tells. Although Cas was happy it had gone well, and although they had found it funny, they’d had enough of the stares and badly hidden whispers. They were ready to go home and would probably be overly clingy all evening.

Although, from the way Dean was practically leaning over the desk to be closer to them, he wouldn’t have any complaints. That's just the sort of people they are.

Sam was not surprised to find out he was right. Almost as soon as they stepped through the doors into the safety of their home Cas was glued to Dean’s side. 

\---------

There were many advantages to people now knowing about Cas and Dean, as well as knowing Cas is Sam’s sibling. 

For one, Sam was able to stay in the classroom with Cas while they packed up, instead of having to go to the car to avoid suspicion. 

There was the added bonus that Zachariah couldn’t harass Cas after school, as Sam would be there as a witness and Professor Alder wasn’t quite dumn enough to insult Cas right next to one of the students. He still could at lunch or break, but there were more students around then and so Cas had a much more enjoyable time at school, not being harassed half as much. 

Of course, the best part of everyone now knowing Cas had a husband, was the lack of whispering from the seats in front of him in english.

Now that Lisa and Marve had realised Cas did not, in fact, need their help to find a partner, they had moved on to their next victim, who luckily was not married.

And although hearing them try to set people up was annoying, he really didn’t need to hear who the sexiest person in school was or how to lock teachers in a room together to get them to talk, it was nice not to hear who “the perfect partner for professor Novak” was, after all, they had already found him, and they were happy together.


End file.
